MIDLANDS STATE UNIVERSITY

HXGP 115

FACULTY OF MINING AND MINERAL PROCESSING ENGINEERING.

DEPARTMENT OF GEOSCIENCES.

BSc HONOURS DEGREE IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS.

PART 1 : SEMESTER 1

EXAMINATION: MAIN PAPER

HXGP 115: MATHEMATICS FOR GEOPHYSICISTS 1.

DATE: MAY 2021

Time : 3 hours

Candidates may attempt any four questions.

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Answer ANY FOUR questions.

A1. (a) (i) Define the set of rational numbers, [2]

(ii) Prove that rationals are closed under addition, [5]
(iii) Show that between any two rational numbers there is another rational
number. [6]
(b) (i) Define Natural numbers, [2]
(ii) Prove by induction for all natural numbers n that
n
X n
(2r − 1)(2r + 3) = (4n2 + 12n − 1).
r=1
3

. [10]

A2. (a) The point P has position vector i + 3j + 3k, the line l has an equation
r = i + 5j − k + t(i − j + k) and the plane π has the equation
r = 5i + 5k + λ(2i + j) + µ(2i + j + 4k).
(i) Find the point of intersection of l and π, [5]
(ii) Find the length of the perpendicular from P to π, [5]
(iii) Find the length of the perpendicular from P to l, [4]
(iv) Find the acute angle between l and π, correct to the nearest 0, 1◦ . [3]
(b) Find the equation of the line of intersection of the two planes x + 2y − 2z = 2 and
2x − 3y + 6z = 3. [4]
(c) Find the the shortest distance between the lines r = i + j + 7z + t(−i + 2j + z)
and r = −4i + 4j + z + s(3i + j + 5k). [4]

A3. (a) Find the values of a, b and c for which A is symmetric, where
 
2 a − 2b + 2c 2a + b + c
A= 3 5 a + c .
0 −2 7

[5]
(b) Given
 
4 −3 5
B =  −5 2 0 
2 0 4

Find
(i) |B|,
(ii) B −1 .

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[8]
(c) Consider the following system of linear equations

x + 2y − 3z = 4
3x − y + 5z = 2
2
4x + y + (a − 14)z = a + 2.

Find the values of a for which the above system has

(i) a unique solution,
(ii) no solution,
(iii) infinitely many solutions,
Solve the equation for the last two cases. [12]

−4+6i
A4. (a) Find the modulus and argument of z = 5−i
. [4]
(b) Find the fifth roots of z = 4 + 4i giving your answer in trigonometrical form and
plot them on an Argand diagram. [6]
(c) Use De Moivre’s theorem to express sin 3θ in terms of multiples of sin θ only. [6]
(d) (i) Sketch on the same argand diagram, the locus of points satisfying each of the
following equations, |z − 3 + i| = 3 and |z| = |z − 2i|, [4]
(ii) Giving in each case the Cartesian equation of the locus, shade in the sketch the
region that is satisfied by the inequalities, |z − 3 + i| ≤ 3 and |z| ≥ |z − 2i|. [5]

A5. (a) (i) Examine whether or not the following function is continuous at x = 2,
 3
 x − 2x + 1 if x ≤ 2
,
3x − 2 if x > 2


[3]
(ii) Determine all the values of the constants A and B so that the following
function is continuous for all values of x,

 Ax − B if x ≤ −1
2
2x + 3Ax + B if − 1 < x ≤ 1 ,
4 if x>1


[3]
(iii) Use the definition of a limit to prove that

lim (2x2 − 5x + 6) = 4.
x→2

[5]

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(b) (i) Differentiate from first principles the following function,

f (x) = 4x2 − x + 6,

[5]
(ii) Compute the derivatives of the following functions
(a) y = sin−1 x, [4]
(b) y = cosh−1 x. [5]

END OF QUESTION PAPER

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